ALBANY – The state is moving toward easing sanctions against stores that sell cigarettes to minors, The Post has learned.

Final legislative passage is expected this week on a bill that reworks a 2-year- old law that convenience-store and bodega owners argued was too harsh and could force many to close.

The current law dictates that retailers caught three times selling cigarettes to minors must lose their registration to sell tobacco for a year – and have their license to sell lottery tickets revoked permanently.

Under the pending legislation, the Health Department would establish a system to assesses penalty points every time a store is caught selling tobacco to minors, much like drivers receive points from the Department of Motor Vehicles for traffic infractions.

An illegal sale could incur either one or two penalty points, depending on the circumstances established by investigators.

If a store reaches three points within a 36-month period, its licenses for tobacco and lottery sales would be suspended for six months – but not permanently revoked. A store’s slate would be wiped clean after three years or after the suspension was served.

Cigarette and lottery sales make up the bulk of profits for many convenience stores, and even some anti-smoking advocates concede the current law may be too punitive.

“We don’t want to hurt the good store owners, but we do need a law in place that has some teeth,” said Timothy Nichols of the American Lung Association.

Assembly bill sponsor Harvey Weisenberg (D-Long Beach) lobbied on behalf of retailers who feared accidental infractions by new staff or a lazy attitude to selling cigarettes could crush their businesses.

Senate bill sponsor Kemp Hannon (R-Westbury) added, “Sometimes having an atomic bomb for a sanction is not an effective deterrent.”

The bill also would provide incentives for store owners to better train employees through a state-certified program. Stores will be able to gain “credits” against penalty points by fully embracing the training program.

Weisenberg and Hannon said the bill – which passed the Senate Thursday and is expected to be acted upon by the Assembly – was developed in coordination with anti-smoking groups.